Life in Boston: Beginning of Spring Semester
Posted January 22, 2024 by Emma Hayden
Happy beginning of Spring semester!
As I begin my 4th semester here at Simmons, I have really been reflecting on the past year and a half I have spent in Boston and everything I have learned both inside and outside of the classroom. Since moving from California I have had to adapt and learn the many parts that come with living on the East Coast, and I have to continue learning as I go!
Recently a large portion of the Green Line trains have been down, which at first really freaked me out. I live close to the Green Line and use it to get almost everywhere in my life, so I was concerned with getting to work and the places I meet my friends regularly. Luckily for me, this has pushed me to become familiar with my local buses, which I had been nervous to use in the past because of their schedules. Now I can easily make it to everything I need to without having to use the Green Line so I will have more transportation options once it is back up and running! Before moving to Boston, I had never had the opportunity to utilize public transportation, so finally mastering both the T and the bus system makes me feel a sense of accomplishment that can only be rivaled by turning in all of my final papers and projects.
Weather is another part of living in Boston that I think I have finally started to master and understand in the second half of my second year in the program. We have had a snowy start to the new semester and this year I think I am much better prepared for the cold weather. I finally got a thick scarf and a pair of gloves that I like which makes all the difference. I also have figured out which shoes to wear when it is raining heavily and how to tell where it is icy on the sidewalk so I don’t slip and fall as much. Though it may not seem like a feat to anyone from an area where snow and ice are abundant, learning how to navigate the weather has been a huge challenge for me living outside of my home state!
If you had asked me how to use the bus system or for any winter weather tips when I first moved and started attending classes at Simmons I would have laughed. Now I have gained these life skills and find myself thriving in the culture of Boston, which I had never thought possible before!
Keep an eye out this semester for more blog posts about what my classes are up to! This semester I am taking Government Archives with Professor Kathy Wisser which I am looking forward to. I am also taking Sites of History which is a history course that is supposed to involve a lot of site visits and field trips to multiple public history sites around Boston. I can’t wait to share these experiences!